Gurez Festival held to promote tourism

The Government of Jammu and Kashmir is sparing no effort to promote the pristine Gurez Valley in Bandipore region as a tourist destination.

The remote and beautiful valley, which is located about 145 kilometers from Srinagar, was opened to tourism a few years back.

Recently, it reappeared on the tourist map of Jammu and Kashmir, courtesy of the two-day colourful Gurez Festival.

Omar Abdullah, the state’s chief minister, inaugurated the festival. He said it was the perfect way to boost tourism in the Kashmir Valley.

He further said that the natural beauty of Gurez needed to be highlighted to both foreign and domestic tourists.

“In the valley of Kashmir, if there is any spot for tourism which should be opened, where beauty exists, where the people are very caring and loving from their heart and are hospitable, then it’s only Gurez,” said Abdullah.

The festival showcased traditional folk dances and songs performed by local artistes.

“This festival has been organized to promote tourism. We have opened Gurez to tourism recently and, we want to promote it internationally, so that people get to know about it, the kind of facilities available here, about the environment and the ecology. So, it is an attempt to make this an annual affair,” said Farooq Shah, Director, Department of Tourism, Jammu and Kashmir.

The beautiful Gurez Valley on the northwestern tip of the state, at an altitude of about 8,000 feet above sea level, was once on the historic Silk Route.

The Gurez Festival has opened up new vistas for the growth of the tourism industry in the Kashmir Valley.